Deep-well turbine pump



J. WHN'HRATIEME DEEP WELL TURBINE PUMP Filed om. 1, 1923 tra il wf f W f '"5 linternas .llt-.ua 2J, their.

lill

uit

digli o l l Liter nlrtltllf A.. WUTRATE, LOS' ANGELES, CALIFORNA, ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESS 'PUMP fltllffltfifhl'i'", 0F LOS ANGELES, GALFORNIA, A. CORPORATIN OF CALFCRNIA.

nnen-Warn 'runsrnn ruiur.

. To Q de it miownthat LJoHN A. WINTRoA'rri,

shaft which extends to the surface'of the ground, and is surroundedby a tubular oil casing through which lubricating oil is de* livered to bearings supported in the casing and in which the shaft turns.

The lower end ofthe oil column,` in the standard form of turbine pump, .is in com- .j at this mun-ication with the water'column of the pump, it being impractical to maintain a perfectly tight joint about the shaft at this point. A certain amount'of .leakage of oil oint does no harm, since the oil is carrie upwardly with the water and discharged therewith, and the leakage is made evident by a lowering of the upper surface of the oil level in the casing,'w\hich can .be observedand compensated for by theaddition of more oil. Any leakage of water into the casing through the bottom thereof is, however, a bad thing vas this water dis'- 'ioil lmay be replaced places theoiland seriously interferes with lubrication. lf the leakafre is gradual the with water -through a greater portion of the casing without the operator becoming aware of 4this fact. 'lt is anobject of my invention to prevent 'water from entering the. casing and disgpl-ajcingthe oiltherefrom, and this object I accomplish bysubjecting the lower end of the oil column .to a pressure considerably" tiaen of the United States, residing atv .application filed ctober 1, 1923. Serial No. 665,894.

pressure' relief chamber is interposed between the water column being lifted and the oil column, any leakage of water around the shaftv from the water column passes into the pressure 4relief chamber and does not enter the oil column. Also since the oil column is balanced a "ain'st the pressure in the pressure relief chamber, itl is only necessary to maintain this pressure at a lower value-than the natural static head of the oil column. This IA accomplish by directly connecting the pressure relief (3l-14am'` ber into a portion of the pump in which 'such a low pressure is maintained,

The advantages of the invention and further objects thereof will be made evident hereinafter. i

Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is anl' elevational view showing a multi-stage turbine pump embodying the features of my invention. 4

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary ver,-.

three stage turbine pump situated in a well 12, and secured to th'e lower end of a water lift pipe 13. At; the head of the well, a driving means suoli as a motor 14 is connected to an impeller drive shaft 15, which extends through a tubular casing 1G. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the turbine pumpemploys first, second and third stage bowls 17,18 and 19, which are in the'forrn of housings, suitably `secured together and having therein impellers 21, .22 and 23.

Water' in the .well entering the suction pipe 25, supported by 'a casting 26, is delivered by the uppermost impeller23which delivers the water through .the passage 30 into the ipe 13 at sufficient pressure to discharge tie water at the mouth of the well. .Each stage of the turbine pump imparts to the iiow of water a designated amount of pressure so that as the wateris carried upwardly .from stage to stage',` the pressure thereof is increased to the pressure required to carry the water tothe surface.

Let it be considered that each stage of the turbine pump is designed to deliver a .Q5-pound ypressure to the water. Under these conditions, the pressure in the passage 28 of the lower stage bowl 17 would in the passage 29, 50 pounds per square inch;

and the pressure nr the passage 30, 75

pounds per square inch. This pressure in the uppermost bowl 19 is above the static pressure of oil in the space 35 `between the shaft l5 and the shaft casing 16.

The difference in pressure between the oil and water would, Aunless my invention was employed, result in the passage of the water inwardly, as indicated by-the arrow 38 in Fig. 2, between theinipellerA and the core 39 of the bowl 1t), the water displacing -the oil in the space 35. This, however, is

prevented by the employment of a pressure relief chamber l2 formed in the casting of the core 3f) at a point immediately above the iinpeller The pressure within the.

chamberl LMis maintained, at a value soinewhat less than the static head of the oil, by the employment of an equalizing pipe al which communicates between the pressure relief chamber 42 and the passage Q8 of the lower bowl or housing `17, in which a pressure of 25 pounds per square inchjis held. by v the nnpeller 2l. By this inter-communi` 44 to the lower stage passage 28.

' By the use of this arrangement, an ample supply of oil maybe at all times maintained in the "bearings of the pump, owing to the fact that the water cannotrise within the oil column and causethe displacement thereof, thus eliminating the necessity of frequently adjusting the packing member 48, Fig. l, which must be done in the ordinary type of turbine pumps in order to prevent the forcing of the oil upward in the oil column byr the water pressure at the lower end thereof.

It will be immediately evident that by ii'iaintaining positive lubrication, the life 4of the pump bearings may be very ,materially increased. The arrangement herein shown' produces this greatly desired result.

I claim as my invention:

l. In aturbine pump, the combination of: a plurality of stage housings; impelleis in said stage housings; a shaft for driving said impeliers; a tubular casing sur-rounding said shaft. for supporting a column of lubricating oil; walls enclosing a pressure relief chamber around said shaft at a point adjacent to the uppermost of said impellers; and a tubular member communicating between said relief chainber and the fluid passage of one of said stage housings lin which a pressure is existent during operation; substantially in balance with the static head ofthe lubricating oil column.

In a turbine pump, the con'ibination of: an iinpeller housing; .a bearing at the upper end of said housing j.. a' shaft extending upwardljv through said bearing to a driver; an oil tube extending upwardly from said hoes ing and surrounding the shaft; an iinpeller on said shaft within said housing; and means for releasing the water collected at high pressure between the upper face of said impeller and the lower end of said bearing so as to prevent upward displacenient of said oil by said water.

In a turbine pump, the combination of: a plurality of stage housings; 'iinpellers in said stage housings; a shaft for driving said impelleis; a tubular casing surrounding said shaft for supporting a column of lubricating oil.; bearing means at the upper end of said group of stage housings, said bearing receiving said shaft and being adjacent to the column of lubricating oil; and means for releasing the water collected under pressure between the upper end of said impellers and the lower end of said bearing so as to prevent upward displacement of said oil by said water.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 22d day of September, 1923.

JOHN A. "WINTROATIIl 

